From collaborative partnerships to leveraging international market expansion, pork business leaders say the opportunities are as big as they’ve ever been for the U.S. pork industry.
Farm Journal’s PORK asked five business leaders to share their perspectives on a variety of subjects, including the biggest opportunities on the horizon for pork producers and what energizes them to serve pork producers day in and day out.
The line-up of experts includes:
- Justin Fix, director of customer success at AcuFast
- Hyatt Frobose, USA commercial director, JYGA Tech USA (makers of GESTAL products)
- Greg Krahn, manager of swine analytics and tech support for research at United Animal Health
- Erin Limes Stickel, account manager, dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition & Health
- Jess Stevens, vice president food and agribusiness, Farm Credit Mid-America
Q. What is the biggest opportunity on the horizon for the U.S. pork industry?
JF: Collaborative partnerships. Although it might seem like an odd answer, with the volatility we have seen and how fast equity can erode, the margin for error is seemingly shrinking. Regardless of the size of the entity, we cannot be experts in all things; therefore, moving from transactional vendor/supplier relationships to a long-term value creating partnership would offer greater access to the tools needed to ensure greater likelihood for success. Many of these relationships exist and they are growing by the day, but I believe we have considerable room for growth.
HF: Improvements in sow farm productivity and pigs saved per litter. While we’ve seen significant recent increases, we still lag behind other countries and there are a lot of low-hanging fruit to maximize the genetic capability of today’s sow herd.
GK: Utilization of big data to gain valuable insights and make data-driven decisions. When you look across other industries, companies such as Google and Amazon are using data to better understand consumer behavior, market trends and execute targeted marketing. Even sports teams are using advanced analytics to make in-game decisions during critical situations. The pork industry continues to adapt and implement new technologies that effortlessly and routinely collect data, but data is only valuable if it’s being processed, interpreted, and utilized. As we continue to grow our information database from diverse sources, we need to maximize our potential and evolve how we look at and use data.
ES: The biggest opportunity on the horizon for the U.S. pork industry lies in leveraging international market expansion, coupled with addressing vitamin and food security impact on the supply chain and animal feed security. As global awareness of food security grows, particularly in the wake of challenges such as climate change and supply chain disruptions, there is an increasing emphasis on securing reliable sources of essential nutrients and feed ingredients. The U.S. pork industry can seize this opportunity by investing in research and development of sustainable feed solutions, including alternative protein sources and fortified feed additives. By ensuring a resilient supply chain and bolstering animal health and nutrition, the industry can enhance its competitiveness and meet the evolving needs of both domestic and international markets.
JS: After being afforded the opportunity to go to the EU for the National Pork Board’s board of directors trip representing the 60,000 American pig farmers, I believe our greatest opportunity to continue to move pork for domestic producers is through exports. U.S. pork producers are very efficient and we have a cost structure that is only rivaled by Brazil at this time. In contrast, the EU who was already a higher cost pork producer, is continuing to mount costs and drag efficiency on their producers to comply with ever-increasing onerous regulations. The political and societal pressure cooker that EU pork producers are trapped in could allow the U.S. to usurp the EU as the leading exporter of pork. The general tone from being in market is that the EU is willing to give up some market and production efficiency to achieve societal and policy goals, such as environmental sustainability. If this trend continues it could create a white elephant event for U.S. pork producers to export globally, giving some much needed optimism to the industry that took deep losses for the past few years.
Q. What energizes you to do what you do day in and day out for the pork industry?
JF: The people. I have heard many people say providing a high-quality protein source to a hungry world is a noble profession and I completely agree. For someone in my position, providing technologies, products and services that allow people to achieve their goal of producing protein for a hungry world, is incredibly fulfilling. The last 18 to 24 months have been really challenging, and not because I worried about my career or our business, but because the people I have come to truly care about were really struggling. The emotional weight of the conversations that were not about gilt orders or semen, but rather about whether they were staying in business or not, weighed heavily. I think I always knew it, but these relationships are what fuel me further – how I can do my part to support the success of pork producers.
HF: There are so many science-based ‘opportunities’ relating to nutrition, genetics, welfare, etc., that we have thus far been unable to implement widely in commercial production. I enjoy challenging the ‘we’ve always done it this way’ mindset that we sometimes fall into in animal agriculture and the opportunity to bring new, practical solutions to the market.
GK: Providing valuable insights and support, helping producers improve production, and seeing the positive impact of research, innovation and technology on the industry fuels my passion. I spend a lot of time analyzing individual pig data that we collect at our research farms, and I find this information incredibly interesting. There is so much unique information that we can learn when we can look at sub-populations within a group. I believe there is so much opportunity in how we can manage these sub-populations differently. It’s also incredible to see how the sow has such a large impact on downstream performance.
ES: What energizes me day-in and day-out for the pork industry is the profound impact it has on global food security, economic prosperity and sustainability. Knowing that my efforts contribute to providing nutritious protein to millions of people worldwide while supporting the livelihoods of farmers and rural communities, fills me with purpose and motivation. Additionally, the dynamic nature of the industry, coupled with the continuous pursuit of innovation and improvement, keeps me engaged and inspired to overcome challenges and seize opportunities. Ultimately, the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the world through my work in the pork industry is what drives my passion and commitment each day.
JS: Hands down, the best part of the industry is the people. The culture of pork is a thriving one full of people who are passionate and warm, which is evident at pork events. They often feel more like a family reunion than an industry conference. The American pig farmer is still a hardworking, pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps kind of entrepreneur that showcases by their stories and legacies the magic of the American dream. There are many producers today that have 10,000 sows plus with large vertically integrated production systems that started as a 4-H project of three sows or with 300 sows on a dirt lot. As a lender, pork producer and pork industry supporter, it is energizing to see these industrious and cutting-edge producers navigate the challenges that a downcycle has brought and largely find new ways to be gritty and thrive.
Q. What is one thing people may not know about you?
JF: My wife Cally and I have two daughters, Etta (7) and Marlo (2). I have experienced nothing more fulfilling in life or scarier than realizing the impact we get to have on little humans that are entrusted to our care. To answer the question; being a father is the greatest honor I will ever receive.
HF: My wife Brandi and I are avid Kansas City Chiefs fans and season ticket holders. Hoping to cheer them on to a 3rd consecutive Super Bowl ring in 2024!
GK: I’m an owner of an NFL team. As many of you know, the Green Bay Packers are the only professional sports team that’s owned by the fans. I bought stock in the Packers in 2022 and have been to Lambeau Field multiple times to cheer on my favorite team. Born and raised in Wisconsin, I bleed green and gold. Go Pack Go!
ES: I am the eldest among four sisters and I am raising four daughters, and a son. Interestingly, among my sisters, three of us have Irish Twins in our families.
JS: In addition to my full-time role at Farm Credit Mid-America as the vice president of food and agribusiness, I am also a mom of three boys, a wife to an active duty Air Force pilot, and a first-generation farmer. I started up Carroll Creek Farms in 2015 which sells grassfed beef and lamb, woodlot Berkshire pork, and pastured poultry to the Cincinnati and Dayton market directly from the farm. We welcome the public to buy meat raised at our home where a farm store is located, we sell at farmers markets, offer freezer beef, and provide various other channels for a true farm-to-fork experience. It’s exciting and will challenge your paradigms to be on both sides of agriculture from the large and commodity to small and niche, but I do enjoy the daily dichotomy and believe it makes me more efficient at representing others on the board for National Pork Board. It’s all a lot of manage but as busy as this season of life is, I really enjoy all the different roles as banker, farm entrepreneur, wife and boy mom.
We will be uniting together June 3-8 for PORK Week across all of our Farm Journal platforms to elevate the important role the pork industry plays in feeding the world. Share your stories and post photos on social media using #PORKWeek to help us honor the pork industry. From “AgDay TV” to “AgriTalk” to “U.S. Farm Report” to PorkBusiness.com and everything in between, tune in and join us as we acknowledge the most noble profession there is: feeding people.
